Gearing Up for Rampage’s 10th Season

It is hard to believe this will be the Rampage’s 10th rodeo road trip.

The 2011-12 season kicks off at home Oct. 8 against the Chicago Wolves.

San Antonio’s American Hockey League team was originally called the “Stampede” when born in 2002, but a local semi-pro football team, since defunct, objected to Spurs, Sports and Entertainment hijacking there moniker, so team officials dubbed the club the Rampage instead.

Under the auspices of the NHL’s Florida Panthers, players like Jeff Toms, Jim Campbell, Rocky Thompson, goaltenders Chris Mason (now with Winnipeg) and Wade Flaherty helped the Rampage make the playoffs in their inaugural season in what was then called the SBC Center.

Unfortunately, the Rampage have misfired in eight of the other nine seasons when it comes to post-season action, but team officials, once again under the Florida flag, have a good feeling new San Antonio coach Chuck Weber can get the club into “extended” time.

Weber, for the first time in four years, has had a full summer to evaluate talent, since the Panthers affiliation in Rochester finished last in the Western Conference last season. Coaching close to his hometown of Lockport, NY, Weber said he enjoyed his stay in upstate New York, but is looking forward to a milder winter.

“This is a perfect environment,” said Weber alluding to the weather similarities between Miami and San Antonio, as opposed to Rochester and Miami.

A player can get called up to play in the warmth of South Florida after sweating out shifts in the SA humidity and not be the less for wear. Players will also get a taste of their future NHL lifestyle when they play here, “golf, pools, air travel and learning to adjust to the proper NHL climate,” that will make the jump a little easier according to Weber.

Weber has enjoyed success on the bench, leading the Cincinnati Cyclones to two ECHL Kelly Cups in two seasons and into the third playoff round in the other two years. His degree in communications from the University of Albany comes in handy and he considers himself a teaching coach rather than going Toe Blake on today’s hockey players. He says, “There’s a time and a place for yelling,” but he prefers relating to players, since at 38, he’s still not too far removed from skating in their boots.

“Developing players leads to winning.”

That development begins this week, as Florida rookies will report to camp to get ahead of the learning curve, with the Panthers full camp getting underway next week in Sunrise, Florida. Weber will be there to assist the Panthers coaching staff, but also begin to mold the Rampage roster.

On the Mark

One name Rampage fans should get excited about this season is goaltender Jacob Markstrom. For the first time in a long time, Rampage fans should have the benefit of watching a future NHL netminder backstop the local club — at least those are the expectations for the former second round pick from Sweden.

“He’s one of the top goaltenders not in the NHL,” according to Weber.

On most nights over the past decade, Rampage teams were dominated by exceptional goaltenders like Milwaukee’s Pekka Rinne, Grand Rapids’ Jimmy Howard, Josh Harding of the Aeros and Ondrej Pavelec of the Chicago Wolves. Those masked men now wear the helmets of the Nashville Predators, Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota Wild and Winnipeg Jets. The only Rampage goaltender to make an NHL impact has been Mason, who played here in year one and has enjoyed an above average major league career, posting a career-high 30 wins in St. Louis two years ago.

Markstrom should change all that.

The Panthers signed veteran Jose Theodore to help take the developmental pressure off the young Swede for a couple of seasons, with journeyman backup Scott Clemmensen keeping Markstrom’s seat warm on the Panthers bench.

Tyler Plante will also be around to man the Rampage cage, but all eyes will be on Markstrom to make his mark in the San Antonio crease.

“He’s long and lanky (6-4) and he’s the Panthers goalie of the future. He’s going to play a lot of games,” said Weber adding, “It’s actually easier to play in the NHL, just stop the first shot.”

Al Montoya — Exhibit A.

But Weber expects to have a strong backline to help Markstrom and an above-average attack up front.

No sense to speculate on who will be here come Sept. 26 when the players first take the ice with the Bull on their jerseys.

Weber will be here ready to teach and hoping to keep the chillers on deep into the San Antonio summer 2012.